Munich without Oktoberfest? That would be like a summer without sun - dreary, bland, unimaginable! That is why the (inner city) landlords have worked on an alternative. Now the first plans have leaked.
- Oktoberfest 2020 is canceled. In September it remains quiet on the Theresienwiese - the Wiesn falls victim to Corona .
- But: There is a replacement event in Munich that is supposed to bring back the flair of the original Oktoberfest .
- Around 50 restaurants will take part in the Wirtshaus-Wiesn . The planning is in full swing.
Munich - 210 years ago, on October 12, 1810, Ludwig von Bayern, then still a very young Crown Prince, promised eternal loyalty to Therese - the royal wedding marked the birth of the Oktoberfest . But: Not in the form we know it today as a pure spectacle linked to the Theresienwiese, but as a late summer festival that encompassed the entire city. The State Opera, the Princely Houses, our theaters - they have all been made public arenas of love. In the evening they met in the pub - to dance, celebrate and talk. A motley togetherness that should be repeated this year due to Covid-19 *: In the form of a 16-day tavern Oktoberfest .
Wirtshaus-Wiesn 2020: Don't replace, but appreciate the original Wiesn
“We are currently busy planning,” reveals Gregor Lemke, chairman of the Munich city center inns and owner of the monastery inn at the Frauenkirche. The Wirtshaus-Wiesn, explains Lemke, should reflect the original Wiesn. Around 50 large and small taverns , run by large and small (Wiesn) hosts, should bring back the feeling of yesteryear. "The Wirtshaus-Wiesn should not replace the Oktoberfest," explains Lemke, "it should honor it and at the same time show that there are reasons and opportunities to enjoy life at all times."
Gregor Lemke, chairman of the downtown innkeepers and owner of the monastery innkeeper, is working on a tavern Oktoberfest with delicacies, as he shows here with the waitress Marilli.
© Sigi Jantz
How exactly the Oktoberfest replacement 2020 will present itself in Munich * is currently unclear. “We are in the discovery phase,” says Lemke. After all, one has to wait and see which political guidelines take effect at the end of September. The fact is: It should be traditional, similar to the past, for 16 days. It starts on September 19th with lots of Oktoberfest delicacies. Hendl, Haxn, bread dumplings "and of course the original Wiesn beer". After all, the drinkable barley juice was brewed again this year - from all six festival beer breweries.
Oktoberfest replacement in Munich should bring the Munich lifestyle back into the city
Lemke reveals whether the traditional " O'zapft is! " Will resound through the streets on September 19, even without a "real" Wiesn 2020 ? Whether brass bands will play? Bring the Munich attitude towards life back to the city - "with everything that is possible again in a few weeks."
Oktoberfest 2020 has been officially canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter explains in an interview how things will continue and whether the Wiesn will be extended in 2021. * tz.de is an offer from the Ippen Digital Network
Flirting cannot be done at Oktoberfest this year. A daring poster that refers to it has appeared in Munich.
